MATTHEWS, N.C. — Plans for a potential roundabout and changes to a mixed-use development proposal could have big impacts on traffic on Idlewild Road.
Traffic has been a major concern for residents near Idlewild Road for years. The developer of the Sante Matthews project and NCDOT are hoping to alleviate some of those backups as the area grows.
At the Matthews Town Hall Monday night, residents and town council were going in circles over whether roundabouts help traffic flow.
“We don’t want no apartments, no commercial, no roundabout,” one resident said.
Some worry possible future developments and road changes will only lead to more density.
Town engineer Susan Woolard said the future roundabout needs final approval but would prevent commuters from sitting at traffic lights. She added that roundabouts allow drivers to continue merging and moving forward instead of getting stuck.
The new transportation plans forced developer Peter Pappas to go back to the drawing board for the proposed Sante Matthews mixed-use development.
"We know this plan represents a great deal of change but it also represents a great opportunity to create from scratch a new transportation network,” Pappas said in his Monday night presentation.
His new plan redirects Stallings Road through the property to feed into the future roundabout at Davis Trace Drive.
After dozens of complaints from residents, Pappas has agreed to reduce the number of units and commercial spaces in the plan. A new analysis predicts the changes will result in a 32% reduction in future traffic from the property.
If the roundabout is approved, town staff said planning would start in 2026 and construction wouldn’t start until 2028. Town council will likely vote on whether to approve the Sante Matthews project in early 2023.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.